1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to instant messaging (“IM”) systems. More particularly, and not by way of any limitation, the present invention is directed to system and method for coupling an IM session with a PBX call session such that call events with respect to the call also affect the IM session.
2. Description of Related Art
Private branch exchanges (“PBXes”) and Class 5 switches currently support a wide variety of call features, including, but not limited to, call camping, call transfer, call conferencing, call hunting, and call recording. In contrast, current IM systems offer only one such feature, which is IM conferencing. In future IM systems, when richer presence is implemented, it is likely that a user's presence information will indicate whether the user has an open IM session. In this case, it would be beneficial to a second user who wants to communicate with the first user via IM to be able to take advantage of features similar to those available for calls in the context of IM. For example, the second user may want to “camp” on the user's communications device (similar to call camping on a telephone) or “message-back” (similar to ringing back on a telephone) the first user's communications device (similar to ringing back on a telephone), such that as soon as the first user closes the current IM session, an IM session with the second user will be automatically initiated (in the case of the IM camp feature) or the second user will be sent an IM notifying him of the fact that the first user has become available (in the case of the IM message back feature).
Another deficiency of current IM systems arises in connection with a situation in which, for example, a first user is communicating with a second user via both telephone and IM. It may become necessary or beneficial for the second user to transfer the call to a third user. In this scenario, the call will be transferred, but the IM session will not be; rather, in order for the first user to IM with the third user in connection with the transferred call, he will have to terminate the IM session with the second user and manually initiate a new IM session with the third user.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and system for coupling an IM session with a call such that the occurrence of certain call events with respect to the call have a corresponding impact on an IM session coupled therewith.